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Place Of Skulls led by Victor Griffen is without any doubts kind of hard rocking doom metal icon. Pre-Pentagram named Deathrow visited Roadburn last year and a day before he got on the stage with Bobby Liebling under Pentagram and now with the band of his own Place Of Skulls. POS’ solid more blues rock oriented approach should appeal to the larger crowd, not only to the doom metal genre. Place Of Skulls sounded great and above all catchy with groove songs. If the mainstream people are thrilled about Down, but it is hard to figure out why Place Of Skulls can’t win these mainstream people on their side.

The frontman of Mayhem, Attila Csihar, is known for being a jack of all trades when it comes to his different bands and music projects. Void Of Voices is his one-man combo where he can let his passion out with an electro-based approach and the use of his eccentric and personal voice. Attila’s set lasted one hour giving a good performance of the man’s abilities to use his voice. All in all his voice fits perfectly to different bands and projects, as it is one hell of unique and brutal.

Back in the heyday of death metal in the early 1990’s several bands released one or two albums and then disappeared without leaving any traces. One of them was Winter from New York. The band reached the cult status with the ultimate classic INTO DARKNESS album. Years have rapidly passed by since those days. After being on the never ending hiatus, the three piece showed up to Roadburn as invinted by Sunn O))). The heavy doomy death metal was kicked off by the long doomy riffs. Despite the fact that the members looked more like office workers, the magic touch of death-doom by Winter was still there. The death doom trio delivered the ultra deadly doom set consisting of the major part of the INTO DARKNESS album. Unique band and unique set for sure. Hopefully death metal festivals will realize and book them.

Corrosion Of Conformity known as C.O.C was on a long break before re-activated as a three piece without Peppar Keenan. Before the trio got on the stage I got a good chance to chat with the band’s guitarist Weatherman. According to him Peppar Keenan is still the part of the band and the doors are open for him. But as it is known he has been really busy with Down. However C.O.C will be returning to the studio to work on a new album. The demoed and written songs sounds from the punk-ish to the groove material. So far there is no deal signed and C.O.C. may be releasing the album on their own, which takes them back to the basics. As for their gig at Roadburn, well even though the band raged on the stage somehow it didn’t click. The legendary ANIMOSITY was played entirely and some other tracks like Hungry Child. The set was based on the older punkish material leaving the era of Pepper almost untouched. Both Dean and Mullin shared the vocal duties. Whereas Wheatherman focusing on the guitar playing and moving around the stage. All in all C.O.C was a bit odd add to Roadburn.

The gig of Sun O))) was delayed by about 30 minutes. Despite the delay, the whole stage and the gig venue were fulfilled by the insane tight smoke. The blue lights illuminated the stage when the hooded figured arrived at the stage. The massive clouds of smokes were floating around that the breathing became kind of difficult. Kenji Heijo got on the stage and later Attila Csihar arise on the stage with the massive hood. The sound or should it be said the noise level was tremendous nearly causing the never ending earache for each one. The experience at Sunn O)) is something insane and brutal to the bone that everyone should be prepared for the real sonic torment.

After following the sonic torment of Sunn O))) for some moments, the Finnish Hooded Menace was starting the doom of the march in the smaller venue called Green Room. The Finnish death doom patrol rolled the massive deadly set in the small venue. Hooded Menace sounded lethal and deadly indeed. Several movie parts were reflects on the back giving more visual side for the gig.

Then at the same when Sunn O))) and Hooded Menace were doing their set the British Hooded Menace were unleashing the apocalyptic nihilistic black death at the Bat Cave venue. The small was surprise surprise totally full. Reaching the stage was entirely out of question. The uncompromising brutal and nihilistic outburst describe in the better way how Grave Miasma sounded.

It had been advertised and announced Voivod are about to do a double set at Roadburn. That was nothing, but great for sure. The first set was at Midi Theatre consisted of the old material and of course newer stuff. The legendary four piece was truly in flames on the stage. There was no security barrier between the crowd and the band resulting more intimate based feeling and atmosphere. The full packed Midi Theatre went totally beserk when several classic tunes such “Reactor” “Tribal Convictions”, “Voivod” “Ripping Headaches” roared out of the loudspeakers. Even a new song “Kaleidos” got its premium at Roadburn. Finally “Astro Domini” being the Pink Floyd cover was dedicated to the late Piggy,